As the CEO of High Country Fuels in Beaver, Utah, Mark J. Yardley supervises about 75 employees across the various truck service stations that the company owns. A Beaver, Utah, resident and former mayor, Mark J. Yardley graduated with a degree in education from Southern Utah University (SUU).

Dedicated to academic excellence, SUU is known for its diverse initiatives and learning opportunities made available to students, administrators, and members of the faculty. In fact, SUU was ranked among the top 85 universities and colleges by the 2019 Great Colleges to Work For survey. SUU was recognized in three categories: Job Satisfaction, Confidence in Senior Leadership, and Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship. According to Scott L. Wyatt, president of SUU, the university has provided a safe, collaborative, and vibrant environment where people are encouraged to support one another, be creative, and learn from their mistakes.

The Great Colleges to Work For survey was developed by the management consulting firm ModernThink, to highlight the importance of achieving a quality workplace in an organization. The survey was divided into two assessments: an institutional questionnaire and employee feedback. The former evaluated workplace policies and employment information of each college or university, while the latter focused on the individual experience of the administrators, members of faculty, and support staff.